Schroeder, a past County Commissioner, was also a Special Deputy Sheriff for 30 years, mainly as the department’s bloodhound handler. He and his wife, Penny, also a Special Deputy, founded the Strafford County Sheriff’s Department Bloodhound Unit in 1973.

Schroesder says it is mainly because of the concern for the continuity of the unit that he values the leadership that Chief David Dubois exhibited while he was police chief in Rochester. He cooperated with the Sheriff’s office by assigning one of his Rochester officers to become the bloodhound handler for his department as well as allowing this officer to become a Special Deputy bloodhound handler for the County.

Dubois has pledged to continue the Bloodhound unit if he is elected sheriff.

Dubois says that bloodhound is a valuable tool for law enforcement and search and rescue. It has proven its effectiveness many times for his department as well as for the other local police and fire departments.